Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training Curriculum

This training curriculum serves as a resource to assist instructors in creating and facilitating trainings on conducting trauma informed sexual assault investigations. The training curriculum is designed so that the length of the training can be adapted to different training needs. It provides guidance on relevant training content, suggested activities, facilitation strategies, and instructor talking points.

Report Review Checklists

These tools serve to assist supervisors in ensuring that reports capture significant and comprehensive details and the totality of crimes that occurred. The checklists can also be utilized by first-responders as a training tool to highlight the specifics needed in a thorough report, and as a resource for first-responders as they complete reports, interview victims, and reflect on whether pertinent information has been effectively documented. 

Response to Domestic Violence
Response to Non-Lethal Strangulation
Response to Protection Order Violations
Response to Sexual Assault
Response to Stalking

The Impact of Trauma: A Trauma-Informed Lens and Response Webinar 

This webinar, “The Impact of Trauma: A Trauma-Informed Lens and Response”, discusses how traumatic experiences can impact victim memory, reactions and behavior, and the implications of this for first responders’ and investigators’ interviews and investigations. While this webinar focuses on the impact of trauma as it relates to the investigation of sexual assault cases, the information is relevant for any incident where a traumatic event has occurred such as a car accident or burglary. Please create a free account with IACPlearn to view.

Drug/Alcohol-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSB) Webinar

This webinar will address the complexities of sexual assault cases facilitated by drugs and/or alcohol, and provide investigative strategies that better support victims as they recall details of the assault and that obtain more evidence to better hold perpetrators accountable.  Please create a free account with IACPlearn to view.

Successful Trauma-Informed Victim Interviewing

This document demonstrates how trauma-informed interview techniques can be used to reframe interview questions that may be perceived by a victim as blaming them for their actions in a manner that helps victims retrieve memories from a traumatic event and assists law enforcement in gathering more information while making the victim feel more supported.

Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance (SAKI TTA) Program now provides an expanded set of online resources, webinars, and virtual courses to support sexual assault response. Choose from the growing catalogue of over 60 webinars. Take an online course from the SAKI Virtual Academy to deepen your knowledge and develop plans to address unsubmitted sexual assault kits. Create your own training curriculum and find resources to improve your community's response to sexual assault with the SAKI Toolkit.

Sexual Assault Incident Reports: Investigative Strategies 

These guidelines and interview strategies are based upon national best practices regarding sexual assault incident investigations and were developed in collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, medical, and forensic professionals. The goal of these guidelines is to support officers and departments in preparing sexual assault cases for successful prosecution through detailed case documentation and thorough investigations.

Sexual Assault Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines

The IACP created the Sexual Assault Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines to support law enforcement agencies with the development of comprehensive sexual assault policies. The Policy and Training Guidelines document includes procedure and policy recommendations that address various levels of law enforcement response from dispatch to supervisors, as well as collaborating with community partners.

Sexual Assault Incident Reports: Pocket Tip Card 

This pocket tip card for officers is a convenient, portable resource to accompany the IACP's Sexual Assault Incident Reports: Investigative Strategies. 

Sexual Assault Supplemental Report Form

The Sexual Assault Supplemental Report Form is to be used for the reporting, recording, and investigation of all sexual assault incidents. The form supports the comprehensive documentation of information and evidence relevant to sexual assault cases in order to better support victims and hold perpetrators accountable. 

Response to Sexual Assault Report Review Checklist 

The crimes of violence against women, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking, are complex and can pose challenges to responding officers. Oftentimes, significant details are missed and necessary elements to document these crimes are left out of reports. In order to support law enforcement first-line supervisors as they review reports for stalking, strangulation, sexual assault, domestic violence, and protection order violations, the IACP created five violence against women Report Review Checklists.

Responding to Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities: Law Enforcement Strategies and Considerations

Drawing from promising practices and innovative initiatives of law enforcement agencies throughout the nation, the IACP Responding to Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities: Law Enforcement Strategies and Considerations document is of particular importance to building and sustaining trust and relationships with LGBTQ+ communities.

Bringing Sexual Assault Offenders to Justice Roll-Call Training Video

IACP’s sexual assault roll-call training video “Bringing Sexual Assault Offenders to Justice” was developed to expand our law enforcement educational efforts on the crime of sexual assault and accompany the IACP Sexual Assault Investigative Strategies guidance and Supplemental Report Form.

Addressing Sexual Offenses and Misconduct by Law Enforcement: Executive Guide

Members of law enforcement are in a unique and visible position in the communities they serve. They are entrusted with the authority to enforce laws and protect the civil rights of citizens. Sexual offenses and misconduct implicating law enforcement represent a grave abuse of this authority. It is imperative that executives prepare to proactively address and prevent incidents through agency mission, policy, and training. The  Executive Guide addresses criminal offenses as well as non-criminal sexual conduct that is inappropriate, unprofessional, and damaging to the public confidence in a department.

Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment: Approaches to Domestic & Sexual Violence

The IACP created the Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment so that agencies can both internally and externally assess their responses to and investigations of these gender-based violence. Together, these assessments are intended to assist agencies in comprehensively reviewing and evaluating their current policies and practices related to domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and strangulation.

Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias infographic

This infographic outlines key concepts central to understanding the intersection of gender bias and response to gender-based violence, such as sexual violence, domestic/intimate partner violence, and stalking. 

Balancing the Scales of Justice Webinar Series

The IACP’s “Balancing the Scales of Justice” webinar series was developed as part of the Enhancing Community Trust: Proactive Approaches to Domestic and Sexual Violence program funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This webinar series will outline what gender bias is, its impacts on domestic and sexual violence investigations, and strategies for leaders to identify and address it within their agencies.

Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment: Approaches to Domestic & Sexual Violence

The IACP created the Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment so that agencies can both internally and externally assess their responses to and investigations of these gender-based violence. Together, these assessments are intended to assist agencies in comprehensively reviewing and evaluating their current policies and practices related to domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and strangulation.

Tip Sheets: Enhancing Agency Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence

These tip sheets provide strategies for enhancing your agency’s response to domestic and sexual violence by focusing on key areas such as agency mission, the role of supervisors, and collaboration with local partners. 

National Forum on Body-Worn Cameras and Violence Against Women

These documents compile the deliberations and considerations of the IACP National Forum on Body-Worn Cameras and Violence Against Women, a multidisciplinary, national forum on creating effective victim-centered body-worn camera policies and programs for law enforcement. 

Webinars

Policy and Program Development

Victim Safety and Confidentiality

Vulnerable Populations and Community Trust

Sexual Assault Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines

The IACP created the Sexual Assault Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines to support law enforcement agencies with the development of comprehensive sexual assault policies. The Policy and Training Guidelines document includes procedure and policy recommendations that address various levels of law enforcement response from dispatch to supervisors, as well as collaborating with community partners.

Intimate Partner Violence Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines

The IACP created the Intimate Partner Violence Response Policy and Training Guidelines to provide essential background material, supporting details, and suggested elements on intimate partner violence in order to support agency development of comprehensive training content and policy.

Addressing Sexual Offenses and Misconduct by Law Enforcement

Members of law enforcement are in a unique and visible position in the communities they serve. They are entrusted with the authority to enforce laws and protect the civil rights of citizens. Sexual offenses and misconduct implicating law enforcement represent a grave abuse of this authority. It is imperative that executives prepare to proactively address and prevent incidents through agency mission, policy, and training. The  Executive Guide addresses criminal offenses as well as non-criminal sexual conduct that is inappropriate, unprofessional, and damaging to the public confidence in a department.

Officer Safety Considerations for Domestic Violence Calls

This webinar examines the complexities and challenges that may be faced by officers when interacting with offenders, victims, and witnesses, identifies tactics and protocols for increasing officer, victim, and civilian safety, and presents quantitative research and case studies to demonstrate the possible dangers of responding to and managing on-scene investigations of domestic violence calls.

Sexual Assault Supplemental Report Form

The Sexual Assault Supplemental Report Form is to be used for the reporting, recording, and investigation of all sexual assault incidents. The form supports the comprehensive documentation of information and evidence relevant to sexual assault cases in order to better support victims and hold perpetrators accountable. 

Language & Police Report Writing in VAW Crime Reports

Deputy Chief Steve Bellshaw and Attorney Erin Greenawald discuss best practices for report writing and the importance of language in written reports when responding to and investigating Violence Against Woman crimes.

Click here for the video transcript.

Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment: Approaches to Domestic & Sexual Violence

The IACP created the Agency Self-Assessment and Community Assessment so that agencies can both internally and externally assess their responses to and investigations of these gender-based violence. Together, these assessments are intended to assist agencies in comprehensively reviewing and evaluating their current policies and practices related to domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and strangulation.

Report Review Checklists

These tools serve to assist supervisors in ensuring that reports capture significant and comprehensive details and the totality of crimes that occurred. The checklists can also be utilized by first-responders as a training tool to highlight the specifics needed in a thorough report, and as a resource for first-responders as they complete reports, interview victims, and reflect on whether pertinent information has been effectively documented. 

Response to Domestic Violence
Response to Non-Lethal Strangulation
Response to Protection Order Violations
Response to Sexual Assault
Response to Stalking

Anti-Human Trafficking Resource Library

This site includes the full library of IACP’s anti-human trafficking resources.

Anti-Human Trafficking Training on IACPlearn

IACPlearn is your hub for all on-demand and live virtual learning such as training, webinars, and podcasts. Webinars and training on topics including identifying, investigating and prosecuting multiple forms of human trafficking and operating a collaborative, multidisciplinary human trafficking task force can be found on this platform.

Roll-Call Training Video

This three-part roll-call training video provides law enforcement and their partners with information so that they can effectively identify and respond to human trafficking crimes.

Law Enforcement Guide to Identification and Investigation

The Crime of Human Trafficking: A Law Enforcement Guide to Identification and Investigation includes information on federal law, tools for identification, investigation and response, and resources for victim assistance. Recognizing the international nature of human trafficking and the limited language resources and interpretation capabilities facing many police departments, IACP has translated the guidebook into Spanish.

Development & Operations Roadmap for Multidisciplinary Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces

Developing a multidisciplinary anti-human trafficking task force is a process that requires significant time, attention, and intention. In recognition of the challenges involved in this process, the roadmap provides new and experienced anti-human trafficking task forces alike with guidance to assess and plan task force development from start to sustainability.